Fever. Black. New.

1. They tell me fevers are a natural and healthy response, but they still scare me! Sigh...baby girl.
2. One of my customer's ear holes turned black from my Sterling Silver earwire. Sadly, some people's chemistry is prone to discoloration (like those who turn green when they wear copper). It still made me feel awful. I think I might just stick to using oxidized sterling from now on...
More info on the topic here:
http://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelrymetals/a/skin_reactions.htm

The relevant excerpt on Sterling Silver:
Sterling silver is 7.5 percent copper, but the most common stains from sterling silver jewelry are black, and occur when the metal tarnishes (darkens due to a reaction with gases in the air). Some sterling pieces are coated with products that help keep them from tarnishing, but the coatings will wear off in time.

Ways to Eliminate Staining
* Switch to 18 Karat gold, a more pure metal.
* Platinum is expensive, but rarely reacts with our skin.
* Ask your jeweler if the piece can be coated with a new layer of metal or a clear protective film along edges that touch your skin.
* Coat the jewelry with clear nail polish where it touches your skin.
* Choose stainless steel jewelry when possible, especially when buying body jewelry components.
* Titanium is another metal choice, for its non-staining qualities and for people with metal allergies.
* Watch for jewelry labeled hypo-allergenic. It's formulated for people with hightened sensititivies to metals.
* Keep your skin dry when wearing jewelry.
* Wear offending pieces for only a short time.
* Keep your jewelry clean and tarnish-free.
The last three - emphasis added by me- will likely do the trick for Sterling Silver.

And here are a few more tips for all your Sterling Silver jewelry:
a. Remove your jewelry before bathing and sleeping.
b. Remove jewelry during periods of strenuous activities, exercise, swimming (pools or ocean), work, washing dishes, household chores, etc.
c. If possible, store jewelry in an airtight zip-lock bag when not wearing. This prevents tarnishing.
d. Avoid contact with all chemicals -- perfumes, hair sprays, dyes, etc.

3) And finally...new work! Oxidized Sterling & Brass! Yah!

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